Front truck for tractors and similar vehicles



L. G. E. BUEHLER. FRONT TRUCK FOR TRACTORS AND SIMILAR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED IULY 22.1918.

Patented Feb. 10,1920.

i za-mi! Ml Louis e. n BUEHLEB, ori' CHICAGO, ILLmoxs FRONT TRUCK FOBTRACTORS AND SIMILAR VEHICLES.

Specmcation of'Le'tters Patent. Patented Feb. 10, 1920,

Application led J'uly 22, 191B. Serial No. 246,168.

To all lwhom t may concern:

Beit known that I, Louis G. E. BUEHLER, citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinventedV certain new and useful Improvements in Front Trucks Tractorsand Similar Vehicles, and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame. y

This invention has for its object to provide a front truck for tractorsand the like, which provides a yielding or spring action and frictionalshock absorption between the front axle and the vehicle body, andfurther provides a shiftable pivotal connection between said parts on ahorizontal axis which will permit the front axle to swing independentlyof the vehicle .body as' one front wheel passes over an obstruction, orinto a hollow without thereby tipping the vehicle body, thus permittingsuch body to remain in its normal position as determined by the positionof the rear wheels of the vehicle. The device also permits the vehiclebody to swing relatively to the front truck or axle as the rear wheelspass over uneven ground and tilt the body.

' The invention has for its further object to provide a yielding supportfor the front axle of the vehicle which may be adjusted in tension inorder to provide any desired degree of resistance to a relativeapproaching movement of the body and axle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a spring pressed meansfor resisting relative approaching movement of the vehicle body andfront axle in which the direction of moyement is always in apredetermined plane relatively to the front axle regardless of therelative inclination of the axle and body at the time o'f lthe relativeapproaching movement;

The invention consists in the features of construction and combinationsof parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illust-rating a suitable embodiment of theinvention:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a front truck for tractors andthe like, constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same on the line 2--2of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale.

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Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail vertical secl tion on the line 3-3' ofFig. 2. l F1 4 1s a detail perspective view of what may e termed thecenter pin of the device yabout which the front axle turns as it becomestilted relatively to the body;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a gulde element employed.

Fig. 6 is al detail perspective view of a cone employed.

In tractors and similar vehicles frequently required to pass over veryrough ground the body and front axle are generally so connected as toprevent any tilting of the axle relatively to the body so that 1f one ofthe front wheels passes over an dbstruction the tendency is to tilt theentirebody and cause very severe strains on the frame', motor andrunning gear owing to the fact that the body 1s incapa le of tiltingrelativel to the rear axle, as well as the front axle. hese strainsfrequently cause breakages and obviously rack the vehicle unduly.

My present invention is designed to overcome this objection, andconsists in pro- ,viding a front truck including a body lar opening 4and an annular outwardly projecting flange 5, the portions of saidplates between the central openings and annular flanges having threadedopenings to receive the screws 6.

The front axle 7 is secured at opposite ends in the bifurcated endportions of the arms 8 of a yoke having a middle cylindrical portion 9integral with the said arms, and which is adapted to be received betweenthe plates 3. The said portion 9 has a central opening in which a shaftsection l0 is mounted, he latter being held against rotation therein bymeans of the set screw 11. The said shaft section is provided atopposite ends with rectangular projections 12 which extend from the endfaces thereof which are'flush with the side faces of the member 9.Extending centrally from the projections 12 are threaded projections 13.

Mounted in the central openings in the plates 3 are circular plates 14,each provided with a diametric slot 14a extending from the lower endthereof to a point contiguous to the opposite edge of the same, the sidewalls of said slot engaging the side faces of the projections 12 of thesection 10 and serving to cause the latter to'move always diametricallyof the said plates 3.

The plates 14 may be made of two equal sections as shown, or may conslsteach of a sin le piece, if desired,

ounted upon the threaded elements 13 are frustums of cones 15, thelength of the rejections 12 being such as to prevent the gases. of thecones from bearlng upon the lates 14 and thereby preventing -a freesl1ding movement of the member 9 relatively to and between the plates 3.p

Secured to the outer faces of the members 3 are the annular flanges 16of sleeves 17 each of which is slightly tapered toward its outer end andis 1provided at its outer end.

with a cylindrica internally threaded portion 18`. 'At their inner endsthe sleeves .17 are provided with cylindrical portlons 19 1n whichplungers 20 are reciprocably movable.

Each of the latter is provided with a recess corresponding in shape andsize with the cone 15 and receiving the latter. Said plungers 20 areprovijded with integral central shanks 21 which pass through theexternally threaded collars or nuts 22 mounted 1n the threaded outer end(portions of the sleeves 17 and which are a means of a Spanner wrenchenterlng the recesses 23 therein. Interposed between the nuts or collars22 and the op osed faces of -the vplungers 20 are helica compressionsprings 24, the pressure of which maybe adjusted by means of an obviousmanner. Each of the sleeves 17 has its mouth portion tapered at top andbottom, as shown in Fig. 2 to provide recesses 25 between the flanges 16and cylindrical portions 19 to receive the cones 15 in the event thatthe relative sliding movement of the body-bolster and yoke shall apvproach its limit.

In operation 1 t will be obvious that the pressure exerted by thesprings 24 upon the plungers 20 will hold the cones 15 andlparts-associated therewith in axial alinement with `the sleeves 17 whichiare concentric with the plates 3. The axle 7 and yoke connectedtherewith `are free to turn on this axis as a pivot and under theinfluence 0i. shock, such as is caused by one of the front wheelspassing over an obstruction, a rela.- tive movement of the yoke 8 andbrace 2 takes place, thereby causing the plungers 20 to be movedoutwardly against the action of the springs 24.

This relative vertical movement of lthe axes of the two arts mustnecessarily always be in the dlametric plane of the axis of the platesSpas determined by the plates apted to be turned by the nuts or collars22 in4 jections 12 with the member 9 of the yoke, and' said movement isfurther always in a lane perpendicular toi and intersecting the rontaxle midway between its ends, the urpose of the plates 14 being toprevent a lateral shifting of the axle re atively to the body in adirection parallel with the axis of the front wheels. Such relativemovement will obviously be resisted'not only by the ressure of the sprin.24, but also by friction, and will be suiicient at all times to cushionthe blow against the body of the vehicle and lessen the shook on all themoving operable parts. As soon as the obstruction has been passed thesprings 24 will restore the partsto their normal .position in an obviousmanner.

After a period of use of the vehicle it may be rendered idle and duringperiods of idleness the nuts or collars 22 may be turned to relieve thesprings 24 so as to maintain their life as long as possible.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of the invention in theaccompanymg drawings, it will be obvious of course, that such embodimentmay be changed and varied in details of construction without departingfrom the invention as dened in the appended claims.

I-claim as my invention: 1. In a tractor or the like, a bodybolster, anaxle, a yoke carried by the latter and pivotally engaged with thebody-bolster to 'swing on a horizontal axis, the latter being shiftablefrom its normal position relatively to the body bolster under ftheinfluence of shock as they vehicle passes over obstructions andspring-held interengaging means on the bolster and yoke for resistingshifting of ald axls and returning it toits normal posiion. 2. In atractor or the like, a body bolster an axle, a yoke carried by thelatter and engaged with the latter for pivotal and sliding movementrelatively thereto, and means including springs associated with theconnection of the bolster and .yoke for normally7 holding the same in afixed position relatively to each other and returning them to suchposition when shifted therefrom under the influence of shock due topassage of the vehicle overl obstructions.

3. In :a tractor or the like, a body bolster,

an axle, a yoke carried by the latter and en-q gaged with the latter forpivotal andl sliding movement relatively thereto, and means includinsprings associated with the connection o the bolster and yoke fornormally holding the same in a fixed position relatively to each otherand returning themvto such position when shifted therefrom under theinfluence of shock due to passage of the.

` Ian axle, a yoke carried by the latter, and

'movement about a horizontal axis, and interengaging means on said yokeand said bolster including springs adapted to permit free relativepivotal movement of said yoke and bolster but yieldingly andfrictionally resisting relative movement thereof in the said verticalplane. y 5. In a tractor or the like, a body bolster,

having a sliding engagement with the bolster for permitting relativemovement thereof in a vertical plane and a relative pivotalmovementabout a horizontal axis, and interengaging means on said yokeand said bolster including springs constituting a slftable pivotalconnection therebetween for permitting f ree relative pivotal movementof said yoke and bolster but yieldingly and frictionally resistingrelative movement thereof in the said vertical plane.

6.. In a tractor or the like, a body bolster, an axle, a yoke carried bythe latter, and having a sliding engagement with the bolster forpermittmg relative movement thereofin a vertical plane and a relativepivotal movement about a horizontal axis, and interengaging means onsaid yoke and said bolster inclnding springs constituting a shiftablepivotal connection therebetween for permitting free relative pivotalmovement of said yoke and bolster but yieldingly and frictionallyresisting relative movement thereof inthe said vertical plane, and guideelements associated with the pivotal connecting means for maintainingthe pivotal axis in a plane perpendicular to and intersecting` the axlemidway between its ends.

7 In atractor or the like, a body bolster,

an axle, a oke carried by the latter, and having a sllding engagementwith the bolster for permitting relative movement thereof in a verticallplane and a relative pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, a pairof sleeves projecting from the front and rear faces of the bolster, apair of convex proj ections extending from opposite faces of the yoke'and into said sleeves, and a pair of spring-held plungers reciproca-blein said sleeves and presenting concave faces engaging the convexprojections and coacting therewith to provide a shiftable pivotal axison which said yoke may turn relatively to v said bolster.

LOUIS G. E. BUEHLER.

